Was The Wolverine Movie Leak a Publicity Stunt From Fox?
Anybody who knows me, knows that when it comes to theories, it doesn’t take a whole lot to get me to develop one about the various conspiracies that unfold around me. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I’m paranoid. But I do realize that my obsession with peeling back the layers of life’s onions isn’t completely normal either. So, things on the conspiracy front have been a little dry lately. With George W. and Uncle Dick out of the White House, and things looking like they might return to more normal on Wall Street, there haven’t been many things to think about. Or at least, other than trying to figure out who the modern day Pirate King is (Jay Leno, be warned I’ve got my eye on you) things have been slow. Which is why my newest conspiracy theory might be a little weak, but at least it’s original.
In case anybody’s internet has been out the last three weeks, a “work print” of X-Men Origins:Wolverine was released onto the internet and downloaded millions of times. Fox and the FBI were working on pinpointing who the responsible parties were. Hugh Jackman announced that the news was devastating to him. Public media everywhere condemned the act, and everybody but FOX reporter Roger Friedman refused to review the flick. So what’s the conspiracy you ask? Well consider these interesting threads I’ve managed to put together.
First off Wolverine was getting pushed into the background of the summer’s release schedule. Last summer when Iron Man came out, as it got closer to release day the more positive hype that was generated by comic fans and action movie aficionados alike. For this flick though, indifference was beginning to set in. The comic fans were bailing on the big screen iterations of Sabertooth and Deadpool. Somehow Cyclops was showing up in the trailers, even though the movie takes place before Wolverine went to the Xavier academy. Then there was the trailer scene where Wolvie takes down a helicopter with his claws. Now granted if Wolverine does it, it’s badass, but when Hugh Jackman in a Wolverine costume does it, it just looks stupid. I don’t want to get on a rant but ultimately Hugh Jackman is a bad choice to play Wolverine, but we didn’t notice in too much in the Xmen movie because it wasn’t all Hugh fucking up Wolverine all the time. Now, if you make a movie all about Wolverine, without seeing it, I can already tell you, the guy who did the musical number at the Oscars is going to shit the bed here being Logan for the full running length of the flick. We were all (other than the people who enjoyed seeing Hugh sing at the Oscars) beginning to lower our expectations for this movie. I know in my mind it had already been downgraded to ‘renter unless the reviews come in really strong’. FOX knew that they had to do something as nerds began looking past Marvel’s summer poster boy towards Star Trek, Terminator, and Transformers2.
Enter the ‘leak’. Wolverine on the internet put the movie back on the map. Not to mention the fact that I find it a little suspicious that the timing of this ‘leak’, was literally moments before the beginning of The Pirate Bay trial, the largest media circus surrounding electronic piracy since Shawn Fanning got ass raped by the courts and the recording industry over Napster. Hmmmm, Is it even conceivable that FOX take a movie that was high profile, but headed for disaster, throw it under the bus to try and create some sympathy for the movie industry? I don’t know you’ll have to decide that for yourself.
But before you dismiss me as a loony consider some other things going on around this pre-release. Lets look at Roger Friedman, the movie critic who reviewed the pirated version of the movie and was dismissed for it. Roger Friedman worked for FOX, the same FOX who produced Wolverine….I don’t know about you, but if I were going to steal from my employer, I wouldn’t tell the world about it. I just think it’s too dumb a move for anybody to make. It will be interesting to see who Roger Friedman’s next employer is once this all dies down.
Now, to me here is the weirdest thing of all. aintitcoolnews.comrefused to review the flick. They have built their reputation on leaking news from pre-releases and screeners of movies that they’ve agreed not to talk about. They won’t do a review of a movie that’s been put on the internet? Clearly, just like a Transformer, there is more here than meets the eye. I haven’t figured out what this means, but trust me, it’s of significance.
So that in a nutshell is my conspiracy theory of how FOX masterminded the release of Wolverine to generate some hype to a movie that was destined to flop, and help out the film industry score a win against The Pirate Bay. They made sure that one of their employees was dumb enough to review the movie (The only legit media person to do so) so they could perpetuate the hype surrounding the event. Somehow Aintitcoolnews.com figured the whole leak thing out, and FOX paid them to stay on the sidelines while the gong show played out. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
April 18th, 2009 at 9:29 am
I agree with you about this.. it’s all too convenient. Or its because the MPAA wants to make sure that they have a scape goat in case the movie doesn’t meet expectations. i think it’s their attempt at viral advertising tho.
April 19th, 2009 at 8:33 am
I absolutely agree.
Even with talks of a Magneto origin flick and a young X-men class film, the franchise is clearly hitting 14:59 in its bit of notoriety. Marvel is pushing more towards its core characters, and secretly hoping that the machines of FOX and Sony will either continue with the cash crops, or lose out and relinquish the contracts back to Marvel Entertainment proper.
I also wonder if the actual numbers of supposed illegal downloads of Wolvie were not blown up as well. I didn’t see it.
And Logan should have been Danzig. Short, angry and built.
April 26th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
I agree with you 100%. All the crap we read in the news is all planted to promote the next “thing”. My thought was that there was never a pirated release on the internet. It was just said there was so people would search for it. I never searched to verify my belief.
I’ve thought for years that all of these stories are manufactured by publicists and why the media doesn’t call them on it really calls out the state of journalism today taking everything at face value.
The one that got me most recently is that Mel Gibson thing. That without a doubt was probably one of the most rigged pr stunts in recent memory. First of all, the guy is so drunk and driving like 80 in a 45 ( I don’t remember exactly ) but that alone is a jailable offense. Not to mention he could have seriously hurt someone. But what was the focus, his comments about Jews. It overshadowed everything. He had to apologize profusely for it. The guy who stopped him was Jewish, he had the Passion of the Christ movie also Jewish in nature.
Most cop cars these days are fitted with video. Do you think there was any video of the evidence of this outburst. Was there any video of his wreckless drunk driving? Was there any video at the station (as we know from the TOT MOM everything in jail is videotaped. Nada. Erased of course. It makes me question if it ever happened. They even passed a law concerning the leaking of information of high profile arrests (low profile they don’t care, you go on cops) even though hello…it’s public record!
Do you think he was charged for speeding, no. Because that was something he would have been put in jail for. He got probation. You can check all this out at wikopedia.
Another case, Brittany is videotaped by paparazzi hitting a car and leaving an accident. She was charged with two offenses. Leaving the scene of an accident and driving without a license. Guess which one was settled? They go to TRIAL for driving without a license. The prosecutor said that Brittany’s lawyers wouldn’t settle. Well, how about dropping the charges for that like Mel’s speeding? Why didn’t they, to get more publicity for her upcoming album which was released shortly after.
I watched Donnie Osmond on Dancing with the Stars say that his people WANTED him to get caught for a DUI and he said no. That tells me that the publicist use the legal system for free publicity.
Remember the DaVinci code and the so called lawsuit that questioned the rights to the movie (right before the movie comes out of course this is an oldie but a goodie). The judge who released his decision rights a CODE in it. More news. If that isn’t fixed I don’t know what is.
Madonna falls off a horse and blames the paparazzi. However, no one produces a photo. Hello, it was the paparazzi, that’s what they do! Oh yeah, tour starts July 4th. Can’t adopt a baby from the same country you already adopted one from? Oh yeah, it’s another story. I’m expecting the adoption to go through at some point.
Jay Leno in the hospital. Is the news concerned. Not in the least. All they talk about is who was supposed to be on the show. He got out of the hospital. Most important thing in the story? Anderson Cooper was supposed to be on there that night. Why is Jay Leno in the hospital? He has a new show coming out. Why won’t the Boston affiliate carry his show? Because it makes news.
Facebook and twitter don’t even get me started. Someone commits a crime in a neighborhood and immediately gets on facebook to ask around. Of course, all the neighbors are on facebook of course. Wife solves crime through facebook. Husband says he never used facebook now will all the time and even put it on his blackberry. Sounded like a freaking infomercial and this is the news. I believe facebook or twitter is owned byAOL which also somehow owns CNN.
Winona Ryder gets caught shoplifting. Did you know that this had been done many years ago by another actress who didn’t get convicted?
Jackie Chan makes fun of Chinese and he’s a racist, even though he in fact is Chinese himself? That’s a great story.
Fake recording of Beyonce. Movie out Friday, which I didn’t even know about.
Suddenly a group or country is boycotting a movie, why? To create a stir.
Farrah in hospital. Got a documentary coming out. Her son arrested for bringing drugs to JAIL. Stories both released on same day.
George Clooney in motorcycle accident. No pictures. Paparazzi follows these people all of the time.
I could go on and on.